Clausura
Herkenrode was founded at the end of the 12th century and became a Cistercian abbey in the 13th century, soon becoming one of the richest in the Low Countries. The spatial and spiritual heart of the abbey consisted of the cloister, a unified ensemble of various buildings. Anchored by the 16th-century Gothic church, it included a convent building, an infirmary, sisters' quarters, and other outbuildings, all organized around two large cloister gardens and surrounded by long galleries.
Throughout its history, Herkenrode experienced several periods of deterioration and destruction, with the lowest point being the church fire in 1826. The historic core of the former abbey will ultimately be entirely demolished. Today, only the chapel and remnants of the sisters' quarters and the old infirmary remain of the original cloister. Once the beating heart of the abbey, the place now only exudes emptiness.
Gijs Van Vaerenbergh was commissioned to conceptualize an artistic vision for the vanished heart of Herkenrode. Their installation, CLAUSURA, brings the vanished buildings back to their true scale and original location. It is an artistic and spatial intervention that evokes the memory of the lost ensemble without resorting to an exact reconstruction. A structure of thin steel rods is used to outline the vanished buildings of the cloister, as if they were drawn into the space. The new volumes are transparent, allowing their silhouettes to blend seamlessly with the landscape in the background. From some viewpoints, the lines disappear, and from others, they remain clearly visible. The intervention balances between reconstruction and abstraction, as the original structures are evoked through a refined play of suggestion. Iconic details such as windows, vaults, and towers enhance the sense of recognisability, although at times, these elements dissolve back into a chaos of lines.
The existing ruins of the sisters' quarters, the infirmary, and the arcade, made of brick and wood, are preserved from further decay and completed by means of a steel framework. As such, a composition of old and new elements emerges. The steel structure replicates the existing roof structure, which is still partly visible in the sisters' quarters and partially covered in the infirmary. In this way, sheltered areas for temporary use are created.
COMMISSION
Herita (National Trust for Flanders)
REALIZATION DATE
2025-2026
LOCATION
Herkenrode Abbey, Hasselt (BE)